Originally Posted by
klew97
When non-purse-wearing tourists see signs saying "beware of pickpockets," they may put a hand on their wallet pocket to check it's still there, also informing any nearby pickpockets which pocket has the wallet..
About 5 years ago I was walking in a Paris underpass and a person coming the other way bumped into me. My hand immediately went to my jacket pocket to make sure my wallet was still there. It was inside in a zippered pocket. Sorry said the man, I am not a pickpocket, don’t worry, in English. He was French, he had no problem identifying the American, just by looking at me.